Pope Francis: Marriage and things Jesus does not like

Pope Francis celebrated Mass this morning with a group of married couples at various stages in their life’s journey in attendance.

Reflecting on the readings of the day, the focus of the Holy Father’s homily were on the faithfulness, perseverance, and fruitfulness of Christ’s love for His bride, the Church – three characteristics that are also at the heart of Christian marriage.

Fifteen couples, celebrating between 25 and 60 years’ of marriage, were present at the Mass in Casa Santa Marta to give thanks to God for the milestones they’ve reached.

After the readings of the day, Pope Francis spoke about the three pillars of spousal relationship in the Christian vision of things: fidelity, perseverance, fruitfulness. The Holy Father said that Christ, Himself, is the model measure of these, which the Pope called the “three loves of Jesus”: for the Father, for His mother, and for the Church. “Great” is His love for the Church, said Pope Francis, adding, “Jesus married the Church for love.” She is, he said, “His bride: beautiful, holy, a sinner, He loves her all the same.” His way of loving set the three characteristics of this love in relief.

“It is a faithful love. It is a persevering love. He never tires of loving his Church. It is a fruitful love. It is a faithful love,” the Pope said. “Jesus is the faithful one. St. Paul , in one of his Letters, says that, if you confess Christ, He will confess you, before the Father; if you deny Christ, He will deny you; even if you are not faithful to Christ, He remains faithful, for he cannot deny Himself! Fidelity is the essence of Jesus’ love. Jesus’ love in His Church is faithful. This faithfulness is like a light on marriage. The fidelity of love. Always.”

Always faithful, and also indefatigable in its perseverance – just like the love of Jesus for His Bride.

“Married life must be persevering, because otherwise love cannot go forward,” the Pope continued. “Perseverance in love, in good times and in difficult times, when there are problems: problems with the children, economic problems, problems here, problems there – but love perseveres, presses on, always trying to work things out, to save the family. Persevering: they get up every morning, the man and the woman, and carry the family forward.”

Then the Holy Father discussed the third characteristic: fruitfulness. The love of Jesus, he said, “makes the Church fruitful,” providing her with new children through Baptism, and the Church grows with this spousal fruitfulness. [That’s not going to happen with homosexuals.]

“In a marriage, fertility can sometimes be put to the test when the children do not arrive, or are sick,” he said, and added that in such times of trial, there are couples who look to Jesus and draw on the power of fertility that Christ has with His Church.

There are also other things that Jesus does not like – such as marriages that are sterile by choice, ones in which the spouses “do not want children” or “want to remain without fertility. [Ditto… Jesus doesn’t like homosexual unions.]

“This culture of well-being from ten years ago convinced us: ‘It’s better not to have children! It’s better! You can go explore the world, go on holiday, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be care-free…it might be better – more comfortable – to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog. Is this true or is this not? Have you seen it? Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness. It is not fruitful, it does not do what Jesus does with his Church: He makes His Church fruitful.”

14 Responses to Pope Francis: Marriage and things Jesus does not like

There’s conclusive evidence that the Pope is, indeed, Catholic, but the Free Spirits out there don’t really care what he means, as long as they can exploit his stray comments as a fig-leaf for their non-Catholic undertakings. And something tells me that most press outlets will somehow overlook the remarks above.

If this is an accurate representation of what the Pope said, I’m very glad. I think he’s very smart to couch these things in terms of what JESUS prefers. Too many people in our culture attempt to draw a false distinction between the rigid, uncaring demands of a cruel Church vs the mercy and acceptance and tolerance of Jesus. The latter is rubbish, of course– you won’t find it anywhere in the Bible– but it’s got a lot of traction in popular culture. It’s important for us all to keep hearing the reminder that the teachings of the Church and the principles of Jesus are one and the same.

Yes, there is a secular view that people destroy the Earth. So having a dog is a good substitute for that fearsome child that will pollute in future. The Christian population is currently undergoing a dramatic collapse. When Christopher Columbus discovered America we underwent a huge expansion in population. The problem now is the stupid belief that Man causes Global Warming. It is simply a hoax perpetrated by the United Nations to limit the growth of developed counties, so they may be kept poor. I fear that the Vatican and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences are falling for this lie.

I think that’s beautiful. I have also been meditating on these things myself lately; about how being single now isn’t the end of the world, because most marriages end with a single person left behind when the spouse dies. But how much better to have children and a family to be with you in that time! Dogs and cats are great, but they’re not the same.

Singleness – the state of being unmarried, but trying to live a good Christian life – is also very fruitful. It’s just that many of the fruits are invisible, so you really do have to base your life on faith and hope.

@pa mom: yes. It belongs to the same homily. Same event. On the funny side, go anyone read the Pope’ s address to the charismatic renewal gathering in Rome? 50000 Catholics of charismatic origin. In one comment Francis, and that is the way the man is, frank, he stated ” when I as in Buenos Aires I did not understand the way you prayed. Looked to me like a samba school (the ones that parade in the Brazilian carnival)! Then I understood. “

Buenos Aires , June 22, 2010 . Dearest Sisters I write these lines to each of you who are in the four monasteries of Buenos Aires. The Argentine people will face in the coming weeks, a situation whose outcome can seriously injure the family. This is about the bill on marriage between persons of the same sex . At stake here is the identity , and survival of the family: dad , mom and children. At stake is the lives of so many children who are discriminated against in advance depriving them of human growth that God would give them with a father and a mother. At stake is the frontal and total rejection to the law of God engraved in our hearts I remember a quote from St. Therese when talking about her childhood disease . Shee says the envy of the devil wanted her family charged for the entrance to the Carmel of her older sister. Here is also the envy of the devil , by which sin entered into the world, who cunningly seeks to destroy the image of God : man and woman who are mandated to grow , multiply and rule the earth . Do not be naive : it is not just a political struggle, is a destructive claim to God’s plan . It is not a mere legislative project ( this is only the instrument) but a ” move ” by the father of lies intended to confuse and deceive the children of God. Jesus tells us to defend ourselves against this lying accuser, we will send the Spirit of Truth. Today the country, in this situation , needs special assistance of the Holy Spirit to put the light of Truth in the midst of the darkness of error need this attorney to defend us against the enchantment of sophistry that seeks to justify this law project , and confuse and deceive even more the people of good will . For this I turn to You and I ask your prayer and sacrifice, the two weapons Theresa has confessed to be invincible . . Cry out to the Lord to send His Spirit to Senators who have to give their vote. That they do not vote based on error situations or circumstances but as the natural law and the law of God tells them to . Pray for them, for their families that the Lord wil visit them , strengthen them and comfort them. Pray for them to do much good for the country. The bill will be discussed in the Senate after July 13. Look to San José . Mary, the child and ask them fervently defend the Argentina family at this time . Let’s remind what God himself said to his people in a time of great anguish : ” This battle is not yours but God’s .” May they succor us , defend and may we join God in this war . Thanks for what you will do in this fight for the Fatherland. And please , I also ask you to pray for me. May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin take care of you . Sincerely, Jorge Mario Bergoglio SJ

If this is an accurate representation of what the Pope said, I’m very glad. I think he’s very smart to couch these things in terms of what JESUS prefers. Too many people in our culture attempt to draw a false distinction between the rigid, uncaring demands of a cruel Church vs the mercy and acceptance and tolerance of Jesus. The latter is rubbish, of course– you won’t find it anywhere in the Bible– but it’s got a lot of traction in popular culture. It’s important for us all to keep hearing the reminder that the teachings of the Church and the principles of Jesus are one and the same.

The Holy Ghost will not allow the corruption of the Sacraments of Matrimony and Penance. Period.

It is irrelevant what Cardinal Kasper or anyone else thinks. The substance of our Faith is independent of any man, and even independent of the Church. Our Faith is an object given to the Church from God, to protect and teach, and the Church has been given Sacraments to administer His grace so that they may live in His grace and support and defend the Faith given to us.

Catholicism is not an object determined by the will of men.

“What then will the Catholic Christian do, if a small part of the Church has cut itself off from the communion of the universal Faith? The answer is sure. He will prefer the healthiness of the whole body to the morbid and corrupt limb. But what if some novel contagion tries to infect the whole Church, and not merely a tiny part of it? Then he will take care to cleave to antiquity, which cannot now be led astray by any deceit of novelty. What if in antiquity itself two or three men, or it may be a city, or even a whole province be detected in error? Then he will take the greatest care to prefer the decrees of the ancient General Councils, if there are such, to the irresponsible ignorance of a few men. But what if some error arises regarding which nothing of this sort is to be found? Then he must do his best to compare the opinions of the Fathers and inquire their meaning, provided always that, though they belonged to diverse times and places, they yet continued in the faith and communion of the one Catholic Church; and let them be teachers approved and outstanding. And whatever he shall find to have been held, approved and taught, not by one or two only but by all equally and with one consent, openly, frequently, and persistently, let him take this as to be held by him without the slightest hesitation.” ~ Saint Vincent of Lerins

59. Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and all men, but rather inaugurated a religious movement adapted or to be adapted to different times and places. ~ Pope Saint Pius X, Lamentabili Sane, Anathema #59

We should, as a Church of priests, religious, and laity, embark on a program to rescue the Sacrament of Matrimony from the wreckage it has endured since Vatican II. Preach faithful, persevering, and fruitful marriage. Mandate it to bishops and priests. Issue an encyclical on marriage, reinforcing the three documents of Casti Connubii, Humanae Vitae, and Familiaris Consortio.

State that use of artificial contraception transcends the Law of God and deprives you of a state of grace, making you an enemy of both God and your spouse, and your own soul. For everyone that already knows this, make it clear that they are endangering themselves, their spouses, and any children they’ve had.

Offer programs to learn how to be married Catholics again.

Be gentle. Be understanding. But be resolute.

Find out why half the marriages in the Church are likely invalid, which I in fact believe is true, and the pope wasn’t just winging it, due to a defects of knowledge of the Sacrament, the normal grounds for annulment, contraception, defects in canonical form, and the like.

Stop Marrying People in the Church Who Don’t Want to Live the Catholic Life Fix the problem by not creating it in the first place.

At least Card. Müller & Fr. Z aren’t likely to be misunderstood.”
Sometimes a blunt delivery, because it harder to misunderstand or willfully ignore, is kinder in the long run. I understand why people prefer to (when possible) soften a hard truth with a warm fuzzy delivery but if the warm “fuzzies” obscure the hard truth, then it becomes part of the problem.

““This culture of well-being from ten years ago convinced us: ‘It’s better not to have children! It’s better!”

Father Z. I agree. I have a problem though. Catholic HS, especially in the Northeast has been seriously hit by a contraceptive mentality. Cost of the HS’s are now between $11K and $16K per child per year. It seems that the high schools are full of upper middle class with one or two children, who may or may not be Catholic, and if there are – (are they really?). What is a middle class father of four to do? Don’t go. My wife and I have worked really hard to escape from the contraceptive mentality, the last thing we want is for our children to be indoctrinated by the the idea that children are a financial hardship, expensive colleges and sports are everything, and one or two children are always it? There needs to be a serious overhaul of Catholic education, forgive me, but it’s gone to the dogs. What was once for the poor, is now only affordable to the contraceptive elite?
This is a really bad example. Very bad. Please don’t tell me I might be able to garner a special deal, what about everyone else who cannot?

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